Community briefs

Free Tax preparation: Thursday and Friday afternoons from noon to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon through April 16 at Ruidoso Community Center. Free tax preparation and E-Filing is offered to all middle to low income individuals and families with no age limitations. Small business owners are also welcomed. If your total income is less than 22,000, you may be eligible for a refund from New Mexico.

Ruidoso Music Improv: from 2 to 4 p.m. Sundays, 2809 Sudderth Drive .Bring an instrument and check it out. Call 469-363-7066 for more information.

The Truth about Cancer: at 5:30 p.m. every Thursday through April 7 in the conservatory at Sanctuary on the River. The free venue provides an opportunity to help you make informed decisions about your health.

The New Mexico Child Abuse and Neglect Citizen Review Board: a statewide program that provides independent and objective monitoring of children in foster care, is accepting volunteer applications. Volunteers review cases of children in foster care and make recommendations to the court and the State Advisory Committee. If you are interested in improving the child welfare system in Lincoln County, able to devote 6 to 10 hours each month, complete mandated training, access and use a computer and travel within the county, this may be the perfect volunteer opportunity for you. Those interested in volunteering, apply at nmcrb.org or call 575-646-3785.

Smokey Bear Days Parade accepting entries: Email Smokeybear.park@state.nm.us or call 575-354-2748 for more information. Entry deadline is April 7. Parade is May 7.

Lincoln County Adult Literacy: Offers free, flexible and confidential one-on-one tutoring to adults who need help with reading and math. If you know someone who would benefit from the program or would like to volunteer as a tutor, call 575-258-3704.

Dancing: Dance floor opens at 6:15 p.m. Lessons start at 6:30 p.m., Mondays and Wednesdays at the Ruidoso Community Center, 501 Sudderth Drive. By donation. Bring water and comfortable shoes. Call 575-937-2725 or 575-973-3621 for information.

Prescribed burns: Continuing through March, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will be conducting prescribed burn operations about 10 miles northeast of Ruidoso in Lincoln County. There are three prescribed fires set to take place within the Fort Stanton-Snowy River Cave National Conservation Area. The Bonito Flats prescribed fire will be 245 acres, and is located along the Upper Rio Bonito River.The Airport Mesa prescribed fire will be 198 acres, and is located south of SR 220 and southwest of the Sierra Blanca Regional Airport. The Cemetery Pasture prescribed fire will be 388 acres, and is located northeast of the junction of SR 220 and Devils Canyon Road. Smoke from the burn may be visible from Capitan, Lincoln, Ruidoso, and other surrounding communities.

March 10

Lincoln County Bird Club: at 10 a.m. at the Ruidoso Public Library. The club sponsors an informal session on using apps such as EBird and websites for bird identification on Thursday. Members can discuss and share their favorites. Non-members are welcome to attend. For information, go to flicker100@sbcglobal.net or jw_e@beyondbb.com.

March 11

Rotary Club Enchilada & Bingo Night: from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Ruidoso Convention Center, 111 Sierra Blanca Drive. A benefit for the Ruidoso Rotary for their Scholarship Fund and Community Projects. Tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for children and are available in advance at the Ruidoso Chamber of Commerce. Call 575-257-7395 for more information.

March 16

​Decision America 2016: from noon to 2 p.m. at Capitol West Concourse, Santa Fe. Franklin Graham will speak at a prayer rally for New Mexico. Visit decisionamericatour.com for details.

March 18

Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser for Carrizozo Music: Carrizozo Music is holding a benefit Spaghetti Dinner to help fund the 2016 concert season. The meal will be served from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the Carrizozo Senior Center. Tickets are $10 and meals can be eaten in, or taken out. Call 575-648-2757 for more information.

March 19

Fourth Annual Walk the Links: registration is at 8 am in the parking lot by the dog park. Walk begins at 9 a.m. at the Links Walking Trail, White Mountain Sports Complex. Bring a can of food or nonperishable food item to donate and to benefit the Food Banks of Lincoln County. Call 575-258-3704 for more information.

March 18-20

One Mind, One Purpose Aglow conference: at Nativo Lodge in Albuquerque. Join Aglow speakers at the annual conference. Contact Lenda at 505-366-7104 to register or contact 505-463-8605 to learn more.

March 25

The Creative Aging Advisory Committee to Lincoln County: will hold its monthly meeting for March at 9 a.m. at ENMU-Ruidoso. Join in for discussions on current topics affecting Lincoln County seniors, such as health concerns, transportation, housing and whatever else you may wish to bring up at the meeting. Call or email questions or to be added to email list, contact Clara Farah at 575-973-7835 or clfarah@gmail.com.

March 26

Easter egg hunt: at 10 a.m. at Cedar Creek campground. See the Easter Bunny and Smokey Bear. Sponsored by Ruidoso Parks and Recreation, Smokey Bear Ranger Station and the Ruidoso Fire Department. For more information, call 575-257-5030.

April 1

Lincoln County Medical Center Auxiliary: is offering scholarships for students or employees of LCMC interested in pursuing a career in healthcare services. Application forms may be obtained at LCMC gift shop or Ruidoso high school counseling offices. You may also request an application by e-mail at bpcov11@gmail.com. All applications must be submitted by April 1, to the hospital gift shop or Joan Pelkey's office.Call Patty Covington 575-671-4301 or Joan Pelkey 575-630-4230 with questions.

April 2

Trinity Site Open House: From 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The open house is free and no reservations are required. At the site visitors can take a quarter-mile walk to ground zero where a small obelisk marks the exact spot where the bomb was exploded. Directions: Enter White Sands Missile Range through its Stallion Range Center gate. Stallion gate is five miles south of U.S. Highway 380. The turnoff is 12 miles east of San Antonio, and 53 miles west of Carrizozo. The site closes promptly at 3:30 p.m. For more information on the open house or questions about REAL ID and access to the range for the open house please visit the Trinity Site website at: wsmr.army.mil/PAO/Trinity/Pages/Home.aspx.

April 10

Ecoservants fundraiser: from 1 to 5 p.m.at the Ruidoso High School gym. To register your team, contact 575-808-1204 or email ecoservants@gmail.coim. Must be 17-years-older to play.

April 29

Optimist Club of Ruidoso: Blank applications may be picked up at all City Bank branches, Washington Federal Bank, Otero Federal Credit Union – Ruidoso,First Savings Bank, all high school counseling offices in Lincoln County and Mescalero and ENMU-Ruidoso offices. Four high school scholarships, a vocational/technical scholarship, and one scholarship specifically for a student attending ENMU-Ruidoso will be awarded. Applications are due by 5 p.m., c/o the Optimist Club of Ruidoso, PO Box 4497, Ruidoso, NM 88345. Applications also can be delivered in person to Washington Federal Bank, 398 Sudderth Drive, Only complete applications will be considered for the scholarship award. Seniors from all Lincoln County and Mescalero High Schools are eligible for club scholarships. For additional information on scholarships, contact Maria Misquez at 575-257-4006.